The captain gripped Wyatt’s shoulders so tightly it felt like the older man’s strong hands were the only things keeping him upright. “We’ve got it under control, Finn. Reinforcements came while you were being a hero, so now all you have to do is to go with your brother and take care of this. Fix it, you got me? Because I am not losing either one of you tonight.”
The command was harsh, but oddly paternal. Comforting. Elder wouldn’t have cared, would he? He’d barely noticed Wyatt. He tried to nod, but his head was hurting too much to move. He needed to close his eyes until they stopped aching. Maybe lie down.
He must have blacked out. When he opened his eyes again, he was on his back with lights flickering like fire on the ceiling and people talking over him so rapidly he could barely understand them.
Burns his brother… Damage to his lungs, but we won’t know until…. Keep him intubated until…Chief Finn is demanding to…
Chief Finn. Solomon the Younger demanding things meant Noah would be taken care of. He’d have people looking after Zach, too. Younger was the oldest for a reason. The man got shit done.
He closed his dry, aching eyes again, still seeing red and black sparks popping in front of his lids. But if he focused, he could make out her face. It was framed by the colorful hair that was the first thing he noticed about her. Wild fairy hair. Blue, purple and gray all faded and mixed together, making her gray-green eyes look almost violet in the right light. She’d taken out the sexy lip piercing months ago, but she didn’t need it to draw his attention to her mouth.
Damn, he loved her mouth. The sensual smile that always felt like a dare. She used it on him every time she tested his boundaries and challenged him to try something new. To see more than his narrow corner of the world. To explore desires he’d never let himself look at too closely, let alone share.
He’d heard her voice in his head like she was right there with him the whole time, but there was no way she could have been. She was on the other side of the country with her nose buried in a textbook. Her smile was daring someone else to think. Making someone else feel special, just by being near her.
He’d give anything to talk to her again. There were things he needed to tell her. Things she needed to know.
But he’d heard her. That had to mean something. She’d helped him get Noah out of there.
Noah.
He’s struggling with the tube. I thought he was sedated. Get me another…
Wyatt’s eyelids felt like cement, but he managed to lift them enough to see the shape of a woman through his singed lashes. She was blurry and glowing, but he could tell it wasn’t Fiona. Other than the blue scrubs and serious expression, this lady looked a little like his mother.
Not a good sign for him, he thought as he started to sink into unconsciousness for good. Laney Finn had been dead since he was Zach’s age.
Chapter Two
Wyatt
“He’s waking up.”
“They said it might take a while for the medication to wear off, Roar.”
“Well, neither one of us is big on following other people’s schedules.”
Rory. Wyatt blinked his youngest brother into focus. With his mussed hair and stubble, he looked like he’d been on a bender for a long weekend, but that didn’t sound right. He didn’t do that anymore.
He watched Rory take his hand, wondering if it was still attached to his body. It took a solid minute for him to remember where he was and why it felt like someone had drugged him after force-feeding him a diet of burning tires.
Noah.
“He’s alive, Wyatt,” Rory said as if reading his mind. “He was brought into the burn unit in critical condition a few minutes before you got here, but he’s stabilized now and he’s got a great team working on his treatment plan.”
“He doesn’t need to hear all that as soon as he opens his eyes.” That was Rory’s partner, David.
Nice guy. Wrong, but nice.
Then he heard her. It didn’t sound like she was in his head anymore.
“That’s the first thing he’d want to know,” Fiona insisted from somewhere out of sight. “It’s Noah.”
Fiona was here?
Wyatt tried to lift his head to look for her, reaching up to pull off the cumbersome oxygen mask that felt like it was turned on to hurricane as it forced air into his lungs, but he got tangled in the IV tubes attached to his arm long enough for Rory to intercept him. “You need to keep the Darth Vader ensemble on, young man. She’s right here. And you can’t talk now, so don’t even try. Do you know how seriously pissed I am that I can’t even tease you about being forced to finally shut up? I have a million zingers about gossiping firemen and phone trees, and I can’t use them yet because you and Noah both nearly got yourselves killed.”
Wait. Was Rory crying? About him? He glanced at David, concern for his brother making him more alert with every passing moment. Why wasn’t he doing anything about that? Wasn’t that a husband’s job? Hadn’t his brother been through enough?
“I’ve got him, Wyatt.” David wrapped both his arms around his brother with an understanding smile and Rory curled into him in obvious relief. Then Fiona was right beside them.
There she is.
Her hand replaced Rory’s and Wyatt felt something inside him relax for the first time in weeks. She looked tired. Different. Her hair wasn’t awash in bright colors anymore. It was a rich brown with a little red in it, pulled back into her favorite sloppy ponytail. But it was still her. Still his girl.
“Hey there, firecracker,” she said, smiling down at him as if she couldn’t see all the tubes and machines attached to him. “Glad to see those baby blues again.”
She’d come back from California. When? Why?
He tried to tell her with his eyes, with the still-weak squeeze of his hand how happy he was to see her. How he’d heard her voice in the fire and it helped him keep going. Helped him get his brother out of there.
“You’ll have time to talk later,” she assured him in that low, sensual voice that made him think of linen sheets and soft skin. “It’s our turn now. You’ve been asleep for a day and a half. We missed you and you missed all the fun. The whole Finn clan was here that first night, and through most of yesterday until people started to complain about the noise.”
Her smile invited him to join in on the joke. He knew exactly how much chaos his family could cause. He’d usually been one of the guys in the waiting room being shushed.
“They wouldn’t leave until shifts and schedules were organized for the rest of the week,” he heard David add, though Wyatt refused take his eyes off Fiona in case she disappeared. “We think that’s how long you’ll be here. We don’t know about Noah yet. It depends on how the skin grafts go and what procedures they decide on next.”
Skin grafts? A day and a half? Wyatt frowned. He needed to see his brother.
Fiona stroked his knuckles with her fingers. Soothing him. “A little bird told us you gave Noah your mask while you were getting him out of there. They said you were lucky to be alive.”
“They said that more than once, Wyatt.” Rory leaned in beside Fiona with a scowl, his eyes still bright. “Damn lucky, were their exact words.”
He figured it was something like that. Smoke inhalation was no joke, he knew from experience, as well as from the regular refreshers the captain put them through at the station. He’d seen people stuck in fires a lot longer than he was who had nothing more than a sore throat and mild cough, but he’d also found the bodies of people who’d died from breathing in gas they couldn’t even smell. Which was the reason masks were a mandatory part of their gear.
It couldn’t be helped. Noah had needed it more than he had. And there’d been no way for him to know he’d be caught in that stairwell.
So much for visualization, Fi, he thought, looking up at her again.
Still there. Thank Christ.
He sighed, suddenly realizing how thirsty he was. A-week-in-the-desert-with-no-water thirsty. That’s what
this felt like. His tongue was dry and his lips were sticking to his teeth. He tried to swallow, hoping that would help create some moisture, but the discomfort the simple action caused made him moan.
Big mistake.
The involuntary sound had him coughing painfully, wrenching his hand from Fiona and ripping off the mask before anyone could stop him so he could hack up what tasted like burned trash and poison. He curled on his side, clinging to the bed while his body spasmed and shook with each heaving cough.
Shit. Make it stop.
When it finally subsided, he was too weak to do anything more than register the soft hand that brushed his hair from his face as another wiped his chin with a damp cloth before swabbing his mouth with something lemony and cool. Then his mask was back in position.
“There now. I see our hero is finally awake and causing trouble again.”
He managed to turn his head enough to see the tall and slender woman with long braids and an accent he couldn’t quite place on the other side of him, across from Fiona.
She seemed nice, he thought woozily. He wished he could ask her for another of those swab things.
“Is it supposed to be black?” Fiona asked, sounding shaken.
Black? What the fuck?
“It is.” The nurse nodded, but kept her attention on the now wide-eyed Wyatt. “You heard that right. There is black goo coming out of your mouth like some kind of alien movie. but it’s perfectly normal so try not to panic. There’s an emesis basin—fancy name for that bowl shaped like a kidney on the table next to your beautiful friend there—for you to spit up in if you start coughing again.”
He grimaced, glancing over at Fiona and Brenna smiled kindly, shaking her head. “No, don’t be shy about it, you need to get that out. She understands. The fire damaged your throat and lungs, so you’ll be coughing up and blowing out the results of that for a while. Just don’t force it.”
He gestured to his throat and she seemed to understand. “It hurts, I know. When you arrived, your airway was compromised and there were signs of respiratory failure, so we had to intubate to keep you breathing. It can make the throat sore on a good day, and you were not having a good day. Believe it or not, you’re doing a lot better now. In fact, I think we might be able to get some broth in you by dinnertime.”
Fiona took his hand again. “Poor Wyatt. He hates broth.”
He did. He really did.
“Well no one loves it,” Rory said. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say, ‘I love chocolate. And cheesecake. Oh, but broth is my favorite.’”
Wyatt met Fiona’s sparkling eyes, wanting to smile despite his discomfort.
“True,” she agreed. “But one of the old timers who was there when Wyatt first got to the firehouse told him broth was just meat’s dirty bathwater. He said that visual ruined it for him forever.”
The nurse bent over laughing and he could hear Rory and David laughing in the background too, but all Wyatt could do was stare at Fiona in wonder. Had he told her that story? It had to have been years ago, but she remembered.
She knew everything about him, all his stories and his weaknesses, and she was still holding his hand after he’d coughed up that demon goo.
But she’d still said no the last time he asked her to marry him.
You knew she would, Wyatt. She told you, but you didn’t listen.
The nurse kept up a steady stream of conversation with him and Fiona as she took his pulse and checked readings on the machine beside him. Wyatt’s eyes widened again when she reached for the bag hanging from the bed that was, apparently, also attached to him.
He’d been wondering why he wasn’t in a rush to get to the bathroom after being knocked out for the last two days. Now he knew.
When he gave Fiona a sidelong look, wishing he could sink into the mattress, she narrowed her eyes. “Don’t be such a guy, Wyatt Finn. You took care of me when I had that awful, disgusting stomach bug that was going around last year. I know you’ve never been the patient before, but you’re going to have to suffer through a few indignities just like the rest of us if you’re going to get better.”
“She’s right about that,” the nurse agreed, as if she hadn’t just measured his pee in front of everyone. “Though I can see you want to argue. I heard you were a talker. Your family is chatty, too. Which is why I brought you something that might save you from starting a conversation that will, at least for the next few days, end in terrible pain and regret.”
Wyatt paled at those words as she handed him a small whiteboard and a marker, along with a clean cloth.
“I’m Brenna, by the way.” She slid on a fresh pair of blue gloves and reached into her pocket to pull out two empty vials. “I should have said as soon as I came in, but you were distracted. Still, I always feel introductions are in order before I take any blood. It feels personal.”
“Didn’t you take blood an hour ago?” David asked before Rory shushed him.
“It’s evil, I know.” Brenna nodded. “We’ll need to monitor his blood gas levels and organ functions multiple times a day until we see improvement. That’s why they put the PICC line in, so we don’t have to stick him every time.”
He didn’t feel a thing, so whatever it was they’d put in was working. Either that or his last coughing fit had severed some nerves.
When she finished wiping the thing attached to his arm with alcohol, she winked at him. “All done. I’ll be back when it’s time for your meds and we can take your catheter out and graduate to the hand-held urinal and bed pan until we get you walking, which we’ll start on tomorrow.”
Wyatt stared at her instead of Fiona, ignoring the heat suffusing his face.
“If you need me before then, push that button right beside you. The doctor is making his rounds, but he’ll be here shortly to give you more details about what comes next. Just know we’re all thankful there are men like you out there in the world. My aunt cleans office buildings and car dealerships at night, too, so that could have been her you were saving from that fire. That’s why I’m determined to get you and your brother on your feet and well enough to face your fan club as soon as possible.”
Car dealerships? Fan club?
“Thank you, Brenna,” David said. “I have a few more questions. Could we talk in the hall?”
Wyatt let go of Fiona’s hand and was already writing on the board when they left. His grip was weak, his hands shaky but determined.
“What’s he saying?” Rory asked, moving closer as Fiona tilted her head, her hair brushing his temple as he formed the words.
“Noah,” she answered softly. “He says he needs to see Noah now. Now is underlined. Wyatt, you just woke up. I don’t think they’ll let you get out of—”
“I’m on it,” Rory interrupted, heading for the door, phone in hand. “Just let me work my magic and find you a wheelchair.”
Wyatt closed his eyes in relief. They fluttered open again when he felt her soft, full lips against his forehead. “I should have known,” she whispered. “You won’t be able to relax until you see him for yourself, will you? For such a cocky fireman, you’re kind of a big old softy.”
Ah, Fiona, I missed you. I love you. Are you staying this time? Did you change your mind about your answer?
He wanted to ask, but he didn’t, and not just because he wasn’t allowed to talk. He wasn’t sure he was ready to know how she’d respond.
Fiona looked away, her eyes glinting with unshed tears. “Don’t you want to know about your fan club? Rory said we shouldn’t tell you, since you got such a big head about that calendar.”
Fuck you, Rory. I looked good in that.
“The fire is all over the news,” she told him, straightening his sheets as if to keep her hands busy. “No hard evidence yet, but they say they’re definitely thinking foul play, and the owner of the building is conveniently missing.”
It sounded like he’d called it right. Arson.
“Everyone is talking about you and Noah, too. The two
Finn brothers who risked their lives on the same night. Did you know you were related to the chief of police and my favorite state senator?”
Wyatt rolled his tired eyes at Fiona’s mischievous smile.
“Well sure, you can say that,” she teased. “But the story about Noah rescuing that poor old woman—who works nights cleaning office buildings to support her grandkids, which is what Brenna was referring to—and then you racing in to save your brother like some sort of superhero? It’s all anybody can talk about.”
Great.
“They all seemed surprised,” she said, shaking her head as if she couldn’t understand why. “But anyone who knows you knows the kind of man you are. Loves the man you are.”
She loved him—she’d never denied sharing his feelings, despite her habit of pushing him away. But did she love him the way he loved her? He knew she wanted him. Knew she cared about him. She’d told him she loved him…
Not just him, though. And that had been the main bone of contention between them from the start. She’d also been honest about her feelings for Thoreau Wayne. A smart guy. A successful guy. A guy who was nothing like Wyatt in any way, apart from his appreciation for good beer and Fiona’s affections.
Wyatt’s need for her had always been possessive. Greedy. Which might explain why she’d held him at a distance for so damn long before giving in to the attraction between them. It might even be why she’d slept with Thoreau after they’d fought about having a future.
Once they’d gotten back together, he’d tried to get past it, but he’d known it was still between them. That she still wished he was open to adding another man into their relationship.
It wasn’t as if he’d never heard of that kind of situation. But even if he’d been willing to try, he couldn’t see how it would work. Rory and his guys were all together. As in together. His cousin Jen’s men had been involved with each other for years before she’d come into the picture.
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